Anne McEwen (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Moore, I move:

That the Senate—

  (a)   notes:

     (i)   the participation and status of women in the economy is central to development efforts,

     (ii)   the significant contribution the Australian Government is making to improve the lives of women across the globe,

     (iii)   the successful APEC [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation] Women and the Economy Summit, held in San Francisco, California, from 13 September to 16 September 2011, where Australia committed $2.2 million to help women start and expand their own small businesses, and

     (iv)   that this money will help microfinance institutions providing loans to more than 26 million women by the end of 2013, enabling these women to establish their own business, send their children to school, invest in their livelihoods and improve their family's standard of living; and

  (b)   calls on the Government to continue to invest in empowering women through the Australian aid program.

Question agreed to.